No one word in the English dictionary would do FDRMUN justice – you just had to be there.

Crafted with passion, sleepless nights, and restless days waiting for the fateful week to roll around, FDRMUN, short for Franklin D. Roosevelt Model United Nations, is a conference organized for ambitious students by Year 11, 12 and Year 13 ISB ambitious students. Aiming to simulate the United Nations, FDRMUN exists to help teenagers familiarise themselves with the dynamics of a diplomatic job and facilitate the difficult decision of choosing whether to follow a career path in international relations or politics.

The conference itself is split into several committees found in the UN, where students represent delegations of countries and work together to draft ingenious and comprehensive resolutions for problems met in the modern world. This year’s topic, “Sustainability in a Developing World” relied on the astute minds of 130 participants from 30 high schools in Romania and abroad (Bulgaria, Ireland, Denmark, etc) to drive ardent discussion. Without a doubt, the pages upon pages of resolutions drafted by the students are a hint that they mercilessly dissected the issue and weren’t satisfied until they found the optimum solutions.

FDRMUN shines like a bright star in the galaxy of MUNs. It would be too time-consuming to list all its superlatives and achievements, however by handpicking a few may help paint a clearer picture of the project. It is the first conference in Romania to be NATO and UNICEF affiliated, incorporate a financial aid program, hold multiple sessions at the Palace of the Parliament, have a zero net carbon emission, boast the highest diversity ratio in Romania – and we are handpicking here.  

One erroneous conclusion to draw would be that FDRMUN is a debate competition. Indeed, FDRMUN stimulated fruitful and passionate debate, however, whereas regular debate competitions highlight rivalry, forcing students to focus on their differences, FDRMUN made debate the first step in finding common ground. Discussion was used to make sure every voice was heard, and that the proposed resolution was a middle-ground that left everybody satisfied and represented – a skill we are proud to instil in the future generation of diplomats. 

The conference stretched across five days. It opened in the majestic Palace of the Parliament, and under the twinkling chandeliers of a lavish staple of politics and diplomacy, speeches from the representative of UNICEF in Romania, FedeVo, and organizing members set the stage for the delegates for what was to come in the following week. Even with such ample time, every day that followed was jam-packed with heated debate and passionate lobbying time where delegates worked to draft two resolutions for two topics of debate. Tackling real-life problems – morally ambiguous at times – sharpened the students’ critical thinking skills, and we were oftentimes left in awe at their abilities to extract solutions from even the most critical and profound problems, in the most precarious positions, combining history with economics, politics with sociology, to create comprehensive, feasible solutions to intricate problems. The final day marked the apotheosis of the delegates’ hard work, and the real satisfaction came from seeing their resolutions get sent to UNICEF, taking one step closer to turning a Model United Nations into a real United Nations conference, and its participants into real delegates. 

Bittersweet speeches filled the Senate room in the Palace of the Parliament, with tears being shed as the outstanding efforts of delegates were recognised in a chamber abundant with history. The growth of our delegates was undeniable and mentioned on several occasions by the esteemed chairs, who watched with immense pride as the committees took their advice to heart and grew as debaters, delegates, and people. The final strike of the gavel against the sound block was so forceful that it flew into the air in an iconic moment, signalling the end of FDRMUN 2024.

Talking about the conference without acknowledging and thanking the incredible organising team and every member of staff and press that brought the conference to life, from an ambitious idea to an exhilarating reality, would be blasphemous. It is in projects like these that the most valuable life lessons are learned, and the most meaningful connections are formed. The success of FDRMUN is simply a reflection of the bonds formed between people, passions, and projects, which rested as the foundation of the rest of the project. 

With heavy hearts, the organizing team, the press, the staff, and the delegates wish FDRMUN 2024 goodbye, but the story is nowhere near over.

FDRMUN shapes the future, and its legacy will continue to unfold with each passing moment.

This article was written by Liza Gilca, Head of Press at FDRMUN, Year 12 ISB Student.

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